RADIO
Is Chris Buescher a Must-Start DFS Option for Darlington Lineups?
Chris Buescher of RFK Racing will start 35th for the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. Buescher obtained the lowest starting position of his Cup career for a Darlington race after qualifying was canceled and starting positions were set by a metric from the NASCAR rulebook. In 18 Cup races at the site, Buescher has eight top-10 finishes with an average finish of 15.2. After 26 Cup races this season, Buescher has 21 top-20 finishes with 10 inside the top 10. Buescher's average finish for the year so far is 14.9, which even includes a ninth-place result at Darlington from earlier in the season. Considering his equipment from RFK and overall track history, Buescher is a must-start option for all DFS formats with enormously high upside that is too great to ignore.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Baker Mayfield Building Some Bounce-Back Momentum
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield has given fantasy managers a few more reasons to buy into a bounce-back. His numbers slipped to 3,693 passing yards and 26 touchdowns last season after the 4,500-yard, 41-score campaign he put together in 2024, but he also played through several injuries and still ran for a career-high 382 yards. Things have gone smoothly enough with new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson that Mayfield said in August the Bucs were in a good place with the new system. Chris Godwin Jr. has helped, too. Tampa Bay's camp coverage said Godwin had returned to peak form, and Mayfield called him the best version of himself after leaning on him throughout camp. There are still questions with Emeka Egbuka and Jalen McMillan banged up and Mike Evans gone, so this is not suddenly a top-end QB1 case. Still, RotoBaller's positional rankings moved Mayfield from QB17 in August to QB16 in the Sept. 3 update. It's a small bump, but the summer has gone well enough to justify it.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Could Brad Keselowski be A Sneaky Play for Darlington Lineups?
Brad Keselowski of RFK Racing is starting 12th for this week's Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. Keselowski was given the starting position inside the top 15 after qualifying for the event was canceled due to weather. In 25 Cup starts at Darlington, Keselowski has two wins, 13 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 11.7. Notably, the driver of the No. 6 Ford placed in the top 15 in seven of the last eight Cup events at the site. With 26 races completed so far this year, Keselowski has six top-10 finishes and an average finish of 18.6. Although his starting position does not offer as much upside as others in his salary range, Keselowski is one of the more consistent drivers to perform well at Darlington. Fantasy players can start him with confidence in all formats, but especially in tournaments where he may get overlooked despite his solid track history.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Andrew Painter a Late-Season Waiver-Wire Target Amid Hot Stretch
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Andrew Painter has turned things around lately, and he's back on the fantasy radar as an appealing waiver wire target for the month of September. Painter owns a 5.55 ERA with a 1.37 WHIP over 21 outings this year. However, over just his last seven starts, he has a 3.12 ERA with 8.5 K/9 and just 2.9 BB/9. Two of his last three outings have gone seven innings with one or fewer runs. In his most recent start on Wednesday, he went seven shutout innings with six strikeouts, two hits, and no walks. Painter isn't currently a top-85 starter in RotoBaller's rest-of-season fantasy baseball rankings, but that will change if he continues to pitch at such a high level. There's a real opportunity for fantasy managers to pick up Painter off the waiver wire and reap the rewards going forward. As it stands, he's rostered in just 24% of leagues.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Jake Tonges Appears Unlikely to See Fantasy-Relevant Workload
After failing to record a single reception over the first 20 games of his NFL career, San Francisco 49ers tight end Jake Tonges hauled in 34 catches for 293 yards and five touchdowns on 46 targets across 17 games in 2025. While Tonges had moments of fantasy relevance last season, his production was almost entirely contained to the six games that star 49ers tight end George Kittle (Achilles) missed due to injury. While Kittle suffered a torn Achilles tendon during the postseason, he traveled with the team to Australia for their Week 1 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams and appears to be on track to avoid missing time in 2026. Given that Kittle is entering his age-33 season and returning from a major injury, Tonges remains a name for fantasy managers to be aware of on the waiver wire. However, as long as Kittle is active, Tonges is unlikely to be worth rostering in most fantasy formats.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Ross Chastain Presents Favorable Upside for Darlington DFS Lineups
Trackhouse Racing's Ross Chastain will start in the 23rd position after qualifying for the Cook Out Southern 500, which was canceled due to weather at Darlington Raceway. In 14 Cup starts at Darlington, Chastain has nine top-20 finishes with four inside the top 10, and an average finish of 16.9. Through 26 Cup races so far this season, Chastain has 15 top-20 finishes and an average finish of 19.8. With Chastain placing 16th or better in each of the last six Darlington races, this track is a solid one statistically for the driver of the No. 1 Chevrolet in recent seasons. As a result, he is a driver who is a favorable option for all DFS formats.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Mariners Top Infield Prospect Michael Arroyo to Join Major Leagues
The Seattle Mariners are promoting top infield prospect Michael Arroyo to the major leagues prior to Sunday's game against the Athletics, according to Daniel Kramer of MLB.com. Arroyo ranked as the Mariners' No. 3 prospect in the latest MLB Pipeline farm system rankings. He was originally signed as an international free agent out of Colombia in 2022. He was promoted from Double-A to Triple-A in the middle of the 2026 season, slashing .283/.359/.471 with 18 home runs, 81 RBI, 17 steals, and 117 wRC+ between the two affiliates. He also racked up an 8.1% walk rate and a 16.4% strikeout rate in the minors. Arroyo played the left side of the infield early in his minor league career, but he has only played second base and left field in 2026. He'll make his MLB debut on Sunday afternoon, batting eighth and playing second base.
Source: Daniel Kramer
Source: Daniel Kramer
Cooper Kupp May See Even Further Workload Reduction in 2026
Across 16 games (15 starts) in 2025, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp recorded 47 catches for 593 yards and two touchdowns on 70 targets. While Kupp remained an important piece of Seattle's run to a Super Bowl title, his average of 4.4 targets per game was by far the lowest mark of his nine-year NFL career. Entering 2026, Seahawks WR1 Jaxon Smith-Njigba projects to once again dominate target share in Seattle. Unlike 2025, Kupp may also be behind Seahawks wideout Rashid Shaheed in terms of expected target volume. While Seattle utilized Shaheed in a low-volume, downfield role after acquiring him from the New Orleans Saints at the 2025 trade deadline, Shaheed has reportedly seen much more expansive usage in training camp. As Kupp enters his age-33 season, his days as a must-roster fantasy wide receiver may be behind him.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Kaelen Culpepper Remains Available in Most Leagues Amid Fantastic Start
Minnesota Twins shortstop Kaelen Culpepper has been fantastic at the plate ever since being called up for his MLB debut less than one month ago. Culpepper has played in 24 games (all at shortstop), and he's had no trouble living up to the hype that he possessed as a top prospect. So far, he owns a .307/.361/.466 slash line with three home runs, 10 RBI, a 6.2% walk rate, a 19.6% strikeout rate, and 133 wRC+. He's slugged eight extra-base hits, and although he's walking less than he did in the minors, his strikeout rate hasn't increased by much since his promotion. Culpepper's near-everyday role and impressive offensive contributions have helped him emerge as a top waiver wire option in fantasy baseball. He's still available in 89% of fantasy leagues, and he ranks as the #24 shortstop in RotoBaller's rest-of-season rankings.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Antonio Williams' Path to Immediate Production May Be Blocked
A third-round pick out of Clemson this past April, Washington Commanders rookie wide receiver Antonio Williams appeared to have a chance to play a significant role in his team's offense at the start of the summer. However, the Commanders' addition of veteran wideout Stefon Diggs in early August may have eliminated Williams' path to high-end usage early on. Between Diggs and star wideout Terry McLaurin, Washington now has two wide receivers who should both easily clear 100+ targets if they are able to stay on the field in 2026. Commanders tight end Chig Okonkwo has recorded at least 50 receptions in three straight seasons and may also be more heavily featured in the Washington pass game than Williams. While Williams remains an intriguing option in dynasty leagues, his redraft value for 2026 could be limited without an injury to the wide receivers ahead of him on the Commanders' depth chart.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Walker Jenkins a Deep-League Waiver-Wire Option Despite Quiet Start
Minnesota Twins outfielder Walker Jenkins has been relatively quiet at the plate since being called up for his MLB debut, but he still possesses the upside necessary to be an everyday fantasy baseball option. Therefore, fantasy managers should still consider picking him up off the waiver wire for the month of September, especially in deeper leagues. He owns a .590 OPS through eight games, and he has already recorded both his first home run and his first stolen base. He's striking out at a suboptimal 21.4% clip, but he's also showing on-base skills with his 17.9% walk rate. Over a larger sample size, Jenkins should pan out to be a productive fantasy baseball outfielder. As it stands, he's available to grab off the waiver wire in 89% of leagues.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Travis Hunter a Risky Wide Receiver Option Amidst Major Role Uncertainty
Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter was an inconsistent producer on offense as a rookie in 2025, recording 29 catches for 298 yards and a touchdown on 45 targets across seven games before suffering a season-ending knee injury. Early reporting out of Jaguars camp this summer indicated that Jacksonville planned to continue using Hunter on both sides of the ball. However, more recent news indicates that the 23-year-old's efforts have been focused almost exclusively on defense as the season draws closer. Deploying Hunter more as a cornerback would make sense for Jacksonville given that the team has three quality wide receivers in Parker Washington, Brian Thomas Jr., and Jakobi Meyers. While Hunter still may see some snaps as a wide receiver, it seems unlikely that he will log enough playing time and/or a large enough target share to be a reliable fantasy wideout in 2026.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Carter Jensen a Priority Waiver-Wire Target Amid Hot Stretch
Kansas City Royals catcher Carter Jensen has been swinging a hot bat lately, and he's on the fantasy radar as a very appealing waiver wire target. Over his last six games, Jensen is 9-for-23 with three home runs, six RBI, two walks, and five strikeouts. The bulk of his hits have been of the extra-base variety. In addition to his three homers, he's slugged three doubles and a triple during that six-game window. Over the full season, he has a .755 OPS with 22 homers, a 10.9% walk rate, a 28.1% strikeout rate, and 107 wRC+. Jensen gets the day off Sunday, but he's expected to be back in the lineup Monday against the Diamondbacks. In doing so, he'll look to extend his on-base streak to 12 games. He is rostered in 49% of leagues and currently ranks as the #8 catcher in RotoBaller's rest-of-season fantasy baseball rankings. Managers looking to strengthen or solidify their catcher position should consider picking up Jensen off the waiver wire if he's available.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Oronde Gadsden's Stock Falling Due to Uncertain Role in Los Angeles
A fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Los Angeles Chargers tight end Oronde Gadsden was a pleasant surprise for fantasy managers during his rookie season. Across 15 games (seven starts), the 23-year-old recorded 49 catches for 664 yards and three touchdowns on 69 targets. Despite the encouraging rookie campaign, Gadsden's fantasy value has fallen over the course of the summer. The Chargers added a pair of veteran tight ends in the offseason in Charlie Kolar and David Njoku, both of whom may currently be above Gadsden on the team's depth chart due to their superior skill set as blockers. Los Angeles also has plenty of target competition for Gadsden in its wide receiver corps between wideouts Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, and Tre' Harris. While Gadsden still carries some upside, his lack of a clear role in the Chargers offense makes him a player for redraft managers to avoid ahead of 2026.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Kade Anderson a Key Waiver-Wire Target for Final Stretch
Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Kade Anderson was called up to make his MLB debut two weeks ago. His three starts since the call-up haven't been otherworldly, but he still has the strikeout upside necessary to make him an impactful starting pitcher in fantasy baseball for the final stretch of the season. Anderson has a 5.40 ERA through his three starts, but the 3.17 FIP doesn't look quite as bad. The ball-in-play metrics are solid, but we'd like to see him harness his strikeout, walk, and home run rates over a larger sample size. His 6.60 K/9 rate in the majors is essentially half of his rate from the minors this year, and his 4.20 BB/9 and 1.80 HR/9 rates are both key reasons why his ERA is so high. Getting called up midseason could be the main reason why Anderson has been a little shaky in the majors, and we have no concerns about his ability to produce long-term. Meanwhile, in the short-term, there's still a window for him to turn things around if he can attack the strike zone and miss more bats. He's an intriguing stash in September because if he makes those corrections, he'll have a huge fantasy baseball impact. He currently ranks as the #30 starter in RotoBaller's latest rest-of-season fantasy baseball rankings.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
